More Money, Political Will Needed To Collect Better Development Data

Jan 31, 2014

The Guardian: Development data: how accurate are the figures?
Claire Melamed, head of the growth and equity program at the Overseas Development Institute

“…The call, in the post-2015 high-level panel report for a ‘data revolution’ has created big buzz among researchers, NGOs, and others at the geekier end of the development world. Of course, this doesn’t actually mean action. If anything is to change, two things are needed: large amounts of money (good data doesn’t come cheap, with household surveys costing $1 million-$2 million), and politicians wanting it to happen. … Better data might challenge some comfortable and familiar myths about development. But more information, however uncomfortable, will always be better than less. Will politicians be brave enough?” (1/31).